Good vs. Bad

Good vs. Bad

A few days ago Sam out of the blue told Jake he loved him.

"That's nice Sam. It's good to tell others we love them without being asked."

"That's what big brothers do," he replied.

"Yes, you're right. And you're a good brother," I told him.

"And you're a good mama, Mama."

VS

Last Friday we were driving home when I pulled into 'our' McDonald's to get a 7-Up. I had a stomach ache.

Knowing our McDonald's drive-thru history I told Sam I was getting a drink, but we weren't getting nuggets or a Happy Meal. Instead I would stop the car and pick up a toy he'd dropped on the floor. (That's one of our car rules ... anything dropped in transit stays in the floor. Especially because Sam sits behind me. I'm not good at those one-handed steering, twisting, blind groping attempts at picking up a Batarang while barreling down the tollway.)

He agreed, we shook on it, I got my 7-Up. But that wasn't the end of it.

"Why do you have a stomach ache?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I think it is because I'm a little nervous."

"Maybe it's because you are mad," Sam said.

"Really? Do you think I'm mad? Who am I mad at?" I asked him.

"You're mad at me, mad at Jakey, mad at Bryon ..." he answered, in a tone that implied he could go on and on.